Steam separator



Feb. 7, 1933.

c. G. HAWLEY STEAM SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 5, 1929 m wa M m i w N A m Patented Feb. 7, 1933 niran STATES- PATENT oFFIca CHARLES GILBERT HAwLnr or CHICAGO, rumors, ASSIGNOR, 'ro onn'rnrrix CORPORATION, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A oonronarron or 01:10

STEAM: SEPARATOR '1 v 7 Application filed February- 5, 1929 Serial No. 337,597,

The invention relates to improvements in the art of separating various substances from fluid streams, and the ,IIIVBHJEIOII comprlses a separator adapted for inclusion in fluid lines.

or pipes; more particularly, 'suchas are used for the conveyance of steam, from which the. moisture is to be removed.

" Such flowing fluids are known as Fcarriers; meaning any fluid that is directed or kept in motion between givenpoints'; whether liquid, gaseous or vaporous and whether hot or cold, or a mixture; and, the terms foreign or entrained substances are to be understood as meaning any and "all carrier conveyedamatters, whether solid or fluid, and of less or greater weight than the,. carrier. The condition and shape of such particles often permitthem to be centrifugally separated, as herein provided, eventhough otless weight c thanthe carrier.

The objects of the invention are toprovide a separator which shall be adapted for direct inclusion in a carrier line or pipe; which shall ofier little resistance to the flow of carrier therein; which shall comprise a minimum number of parts and all of simple construction; which shall comprise only fixed or stationary parts and be free from rotating parts; which shall be effective to remove substantially all the foreign substances from the carrier and to discharge the. same ;from the line;

which shall be of small size, weight and cost as compared with otherseparators of approximate capacities andetficiencies; which shall be durable and strong; which shall beshipable and installable as a single unit; which shall be substantially self-cleaning; and,

adapted for easy dismemberment and removal from the line.

This separator is of a centrifugal type;

That is, upon entering the same the fluid is the discharge is efi'ected.

The fluidmovement proceeds from the inlet of theseparator directly to the outlet; the linear movement of the fluid being modified only by a whirling actionwhich is imparted thereto and which reliably effects a centrifw; gal separation ofthe foreign substancesbefore said outlet is reached.

This application should be classified with 7 my pending application Serial No. 236,519,

filed November-29,1927, and with my comforegoing paragraph,provides for the separa- 65 tion of the foreign substances within a brief instant of time and during a very short linear travel of-the carrier, and withoutchanging' the linear direction of that travel. This is ac complished by. setting the carrier into rapid rotation during the brief instant referred to and thereby ensuring a centrifugal separation ofthe foreign substances. Such" separation implies or involves the discharge of-the separated substances from theiperiphery of the a 75 chamber in which the separation is accomplished. At the same timeit involves the spiralmovementof both carrier and the substances toward the opening through, which For various reasons, the separatlng champ v her is larger than the carrier outlet and the spiral movement referred to is necessarily modified as that outlet 'isapproached. The

actual separation takesp'lace at that time or point.

Aforesaid applications, and this present invention, providev against the difiiculty of accomplishing complete separation in so brief an instant by enablingthe immediate discharge o'fthe greater part of the separated substances and by then using the residual whirling motion within the separating chamher to perform' a subsequent-separating action immediately in advanceofthe separator outlet, thus caring for any residue of foreign co -r substanceswhich is not cared for by the ma- I jor separating action; y v p Atoresaid applications, in provlding for two separationsand bleing suited to'the sep-,

12in Fig. 2. Incidentally the direction of the tangential eject nozzle a is consistent he opposition of the blades to the movingcarrier results in very little loss ofpressure (pressure drop) in the separator and yetdue to their'presence the carrier is set into very rapidrotation in the chamber 5.

In consequence of such rotation the foreign substances are projected spirally against the wall t and upon reaching: the shoulderring 8 are whirlingly propelled and fiejected through the narrow slot 9. The carrier fluid whirls longitudinally across the circumferential ring 8 and escapes through the outlet a Meantime the escaping or stray substances which failed of ejection at 9 are crowded past the ring 8 and are whirlingly' ejected through the space or wider slot 10. The angled lip 6 meets-or intercepts the peripheral portion of the whirling body. of carrier fluid and tends to keep theoutlying chamber constantly filled with carrier at a highpressure; which ensures the ejection of the collected substances through the nozzle a Hence the term pressureelfecting lip, as used in describing the part 6. The described pressure effecting function of the related parts 8 and 6 is also a distinct aid in the niatter of the balancing of the forces in action at the two slots 9 and 10, as hereinafter discussed I r it will now be apparent that foreign substances-are ejected from the chambero and enter the collection chamberl' through two separate passages; and those who are skilled in the art will at once perceive that the ejection forces are not equal at those points. Because of these differences it woud seem to be difficult to unify the ejected foreign sub stances and to accomplish the discharge thereof through a single chamber 1 and noZ- zle a Indeed the tendency is toward a disturbed condition in the chamber 1, and a flow of carrier fluid which if not controlled would promptly sweep the greater part of the substances from the chamber 1 and back into the outlet a across the marginal lip 6. Such wrong action isprevented by the presence ofthe ring 8 andthe spacing thereof more closely to the'sleeve 3 than to the lip 6.

Much of the whirling force of carrier andv substances is expended against the shoulder ring 8 and a definite expulsive force results to ensure the ejection of the ,c-entrifugally separated substances. Obviously the expulsiv-e force developed at the slot 9 is greater than that developed at the slot 10, due to'the lesser internal diameter of the latter and the preliminary expenditure of forces which'oc curs in'advance of the slot 10. The unbalanced condition tends to result in a definite movement of carrier fluid into the chamber 1 from whence it could only escape through the slot 10.

If permitted such movement would defeat the expected action of the separator, and

hence the unequal spacing of the ring 8 with respect to the parts 4 and 6 is of great importance. By reason thereof and because of the large internal diameter of the ring 8 with respect to the outlet a ,"the ejecting forces are so balanced as to effectively prevent or obviate the inrush'and outrush ofcarrier. fluid through the chamber 1 and thus theffore eignsubstances delivered to the chamber 1 are retained therein and permitted to drain; away through the nozzle a j The centrifugal forces which are localized at the two circumferential slots, though {differing in degreeor intensity; are'equalized I in effect upon the content of the chamber '1, by limiting the area of the initial slot 9 and by the making of the area ofthe slot .10 much greatergso that the forces expended through the slot (10) of the lesser diameter shall in the aggregate substantially equal the more vigorous forces expended through V the cramped or narrow initial slot. y Further, a slight dissipation of carrier, fluid through the narrow slot 9 is permitted to occur without, materially interfering with V l the secondary separation because the rela tively great width, and hence the efiective area, of the slot 10 permits the momentarily entrapped carrier fluid to leave the chamber 1 in so expanded a condition and at such low velocity that while emerging through the slot 10 to join the carrierfluid in" the outlet a it does notmaterially.interfere'with the'centrifugal expulsion of the stray substances through the islotlO.

tica l positi on, as here shownyo'r inhori- This separator: is adapted for use in verv zontal position. In both cases the-nozzle a is placed at the bottom to ensure prompt drainage. 1 v v i a It is of particular advantage that the upstanding part" a affords the bottom of 'the chamber lconsiderable capacity ,when the separator is used in vertical position; and, that the diameterand length of the chamber 1 afford a like retention capacity for foreign 'substances'when the sepa rator is-used upon its side, thatis, in horizontal position; A separator ofthe construction liereexemplifiedand as contrasted with other line separators of approximately equal cap aciti'es' has many-advantages which will become parent to th users' thereof; and in particular it is to be noted that the expenditure of energytherein is very small. I Thisis of great. importance, for as well'known a line separator should operate withhigh efficiency here indicated andyet occasion the least possible 7 drop of'pressure between its inlet and outlet.

Intended primarily for the purification or cleaning of steam and compressed 'airthis' separator. operates to remove both liquids and solids; and, is of general utility in carrierlines of all kinds. r I 7 It has been thought unnecessary to'illus tratethe pocket or trap which is connected withthis separator to receive the foreignsubstances therefrom; Such pocket or trap may beiany'of the'ordinarykinds employed with line separators.

ing tuyere for separators,

598, filedFebruary 5,1929. Having thus described my invention, I

': Ajtuyere cfthe kind hereinemployed is separately described and claimed in my companion application entitled WVhirl-promot- Serial No. 337,-

claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patentza ,I H .y r 1. "A separator ofthe-fixed downgoing centrifu al t 1 e com risin" a c lindrical sena- C) v 7 V t3 1 "ratin chamber, in combination with awhirlpromoting "tuyere co-axially fixed 111 and forming the, inletrof said chamber, the other endof said chamber containing a central outlet of less internal diameter than said chamber, the wall. of said chamber containing 1 two circumferential eject slots adj acent said outlet and leading laterally from said chamher, an inwardly pro ecting circumferential 7 ring 'positionedbetween and substantially separating said slots and containing a central opemngwhich is concentric with but of greaterdiameter than said outlet, and a reception chamber enclosing said slotsand itself having an eject nozzle.v

2. 'A separaton'of thefixed centrifugal type, comprising a cylindrical separating f chamber, in combination with 'a whirl-pro- Iinoting 'tu'yere co-axially fixed in and form ing the inlet of said chamber, theother end 'f of said chamber containinga central outlet of less internal diameterthansaid chamber,

- a circumferential slot leading laterally'from 'said'chamb'er adj acent said outlet, said chamher having a shoulder ring which converges radially toward said outlet-between the same andsaid'slotfand a receptionichamber en-;

' vclosingsaid slot 'and itself having an eject nozzle. 7

taining an opening which iscon'centri'c with but of greater'diameter than said outlet, the first of said passages. being oflessiwidth than with both said passages and itself having a single ejectwhich is common to said passages.

ing tuyere positioned at the inlet end of said the second, and a reception chamber remain-' ing withln said casing and in commun cation sleeve, said sleeve having its outlet end spaced from saidoutlet, and a shoulder ringcoaxial .with said "sleeve and outlet and spaced from;35

both thereof and therewith completing two circumferential eject slots which open into saideject chamber. 1 I v Y V i i V 5. A separator of the fixed centrifugaltype comprising a casing having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other and forming y 7 a reception chamber which terminates in an eject nozzle,- in combination with a cylindrical sleeve fixed in said casing of less diameter than said chamber'butlarger thanand fc07- V axial with said outlet, a whirl-promoting tuyere positioned at theinlet end of. said sleeve, said sleeve having its outer end spaced both thereof-and therewith completing two circumferential eject slots' which open into .from said outlet, and a shoulder ring ,co-axial.

with said sleeveand outletfand spacedfrom 1 0 said chamber, andthe slot next to the outlet being of greaterwidth'than the slot nextzto the end'of said sleeve.

- In tes-timonylwhereof lf havehereunto set:

my handthis 2nd dayof'February, 1929.

c AiaL s,eiLBn T HAWLEY.

A lineseparator of the fixed centrifugal I i type, comprising a casing and means forming V V therein an inner separating chamber of less diameter'than said; casing, in combination with a whirl-promoting tuyere fixed within "said casingand forming the inlet of said innerchamber, the other'end of said casing containing a central outlet of less internal diam- .erally fromsaidchamb'er, a circumferential ring shouldered inwardly from the wall 'of I i saidchamber between said passages. and con 'eterthansaid'chamber, two'peripheral eject V passages adjacentsaid outlet and leading lat- 

